The highly anticipated FIFA World Cup is less than two weeks away from touching down in Seattle, but the city’s mayor, Katie Wilson, is still split on whether the CCTV cameras should be turned on.
Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle implored Wilson to turn them on, claiming she isn’t following the law with her current decision to only turn them on if there is an apparent, credible threat.
“She is not operating according to the ordinances, the law, and her duties under the charter,” Kettle told KOMO News. “You don’t get a credible threat warning. This idea that you’re going to get a credible threat warning is not right. It’s not the professional standard.”
Gee, Ursula push back on Wilson’s ‘credible threat’ CCTV camera policy
Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, co-hosts of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, believe the FIFA World Cup and citizens’ safety are not something to play around with, and noted Seattle is currently an outlier in comparison with the 10 other host cities.
“Katie Wilson told her supporters she is not going to turn the cameras on, CCTV wouldn’t be under her watch,” Gee said. “I understand why people have concerns about the cameras. Cameras in the wrong situation can be bad, but in this situation, [Seattle] is one of 11 cities where the World Cup is going to be, and we are the only city that doesn’t have the cameras rolling. She specifically said, until there is a credible threat. We’ll only [turn them on] if it’s a credible threat. Somehow, some way, I have a feeling before June 15, those cameras are going to be turned on.”
Ursula agreed with Kettle, who pointed the finger directly at Wilson if anything were to go awry, asserting that all responsibility rests with her decision.
“I hope you are correct, Gee, and I think Councilmember Kettle is correct to call her out,” Ursula said. “If the mayor is doing what you’re saying and she’s going to come up with something that would pass as a credible threat, then stop playing games. In this case, we look like fools, being the only city that’s going to host the World Cup, and cameras that we already have approved and are ready to go, are still shut down even though the police chief has said this would be very, very helpful.”
‘It’s not a game’: Gee bashes the politics behind the camera decision
Gee mentioned his concerns with politicians treating the situation like a game for their own political agendas, and urged Wilson to put the people of Seattle and their safety ahead of what she views as a breach of privacy in having the cameras turned on.
“It’s political theater, and I think that none of us like political theater being played in this situation,” Gee said. “I don’t like political theater being played in a lot of topics we deal with and talk about. This is why it’s not a game, and it’s not fun. Stop. Put country and people before your politics. If we can get back to that, then we won’t be in these situations. It doesn’t matter whether you like her or not. Can we just get the cameras on?”
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.
